New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) The 2026 edition of the Junior Boys’ National Football Championship (NFC) for Dr BC Roy Trophy, Tiers 1 and 2, will be held from August 25 to September 9, 2026. Tier 1 will be hosted at the Bangalore Football Stadium in Bengaluru, while Tier 2 will take place at the RK Ashram Ground in Narainpur, Chhattisgarh.
Both tiers will see 16 teams divided into four groups of four, with the group winners qualifying for the semi-finals.
Continuing with the promotion-relegation system implemented three seasons ago, the two finalists from 2025-26 — Uttar Pradesh and Assam — have been promoted to Tier 1 for 2026-27. They replace Tier 1’s bottom two sides from last season — Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, who will compete in Tier 2 this season.
Manipur are the defending champions, having defeated West Bengal 3-0 in last year’s final in Amritsar.
The Junior Boys’ National Football Championship for Dr. B. C. Roy Trophy was started in 1962. All affiliated State Associations of the AIFF are eligible to participate in this championship through the two tiers of the competition, which is played across the country. It was formerly held for the U-19 age group before being converted into a U-15 tournament from the 2023-24 edition.
The Tier 1 of the BC Roy Trophy 2024-25 was held in Narainpur, Chhattisgarh, and was contested by 15 teams, divided into three groups of four and one group of three, with the winners progressing to the semi-finals. West Bengal beat Odisha 2-0 in the final to win the trophy.
The Tier 2 of the BC Roy Trophy 2024-25 was held in Nagaon, Assam, and was contested by 19 teams, divided into three groups of five and one group of four, with the winners progressing to the semi-finals. Telangana beat Manipur 4-2 on penalties in the final to win their first-ever NFC trophy.
–IANS
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